Dirt Bike Camping Trip Guide [25 ESSENTIAL Items]

There are several ways that you can go camping with a dirt bike, but I'm going to focus on the 2 most common:

• Camping in different locations with JUST your dirt bike and gear on it
• Camping at a designated "HQ" spot with a vehicle, then riding from there each day

Most of my experience has been the latter, as I've gone out to Colorado or Montana to camp for up to two weeks at a time, with dirt bike trail riding almost every day within the area.
But I've also done some weekend camping trips on a motorcycle where I need to "pack light" because there's no truck or trailer to haul stuff.

2 Mistakes I made on the first camping trip:

I HATE being underprepared, so the first time I went out to Colorado with a good group of friends, I believe I overprepared (lol). I brought a lot of extra tools and spare parts that I didn't really need.
With that said, if you have the room, it's better to overprepare than underprepare!

Mistake #2 was just not having the proper sleeping essentials. I get cold easily, so I made sure the following year I had proper sleeping gear, which I'll share.

In this article, I'm going to show you:

• 5 MUST-HAVE camping items
• 25 essential items to enjoy dirt bike camping
• The different ways you can camp with your dirt bike
• Why it's important to properly prepare so that you have the most enjoyable experience while staying safe/dry/warm
• How I actually camp with my dirt bike and the gear and tools I bring.

What Is Dirt Bike Camping?

Dirt camping is simply staying overnight with your dirt bike where you are riding. This could be out in the mountains or at your local trailhead. 

Why Should I Camp With My Dirt Bike?

There are so many reasons why I personally enjoy camping with my dirt bike. I don't use a tent anymore but have many times in the past. 

Here are all of the positive reasons why you should at least try dirt bike camping:

• See new places
• Get more riding in
• Enjoy the outdoors
• Better bonding with family/friends
• Learn new skills
• Challenge yourself when things go wrong
• Eat yummy food
• Understand your dirt bike better

How do you go camping on a dirt bike?

Do you want to have everything on your bike for camping, or do you just want to park your vehicle and set up a tent so that you can go riding in that area for the week/weekend? It's a totally different setup for each type of camping, so that's why you need to decide which one you want to do first. 

To go camping on a dirt bike where you'll be going back to your truck every day, you just need to have camping gear at your truck, and then bring enough food, water, and a toolkit on your bike while riding all day. 

To do a weekend or week-long camping trip on your dirt bike/adventure bike, you need to have all of your luggage and camping gear on the bike with you.

Camping With Dirt Bikes vs Dual Sport Camping

Before we move on, I should clarify…

Camping with dirt bikes is when you haul your enduro or trail bike out to an area where you're going to ride. You always come back to your same camping/parking spot by the end of the day. 

Dual sport camping is when you load up your dual sport/street legal dirt bike to ride and stop to camp at different locations each day throughout your trip. 

This guide will primarily be based on dirt bike camping, but I'm sure you'll find some helpful tips that crossover to dual sport camping as well. 

5 MUST-HAVE Items For Dirt Bike Camping

If I were to start over with my list of dirt bike camping equipment, these 5 items would be the first things I buy.
(I have a longer list of tools, supplies, and gear later in this article.)

#1 - Stay Warm With The Right Bag

If you're sleeping where it will get down to 40F degrees at night, do NOT get a sleeping bad that says "40F Degree Sleeping" bag unless you want to freeze. Most of those ratings are misleading and based on "perfect" living conditions".

I recommend going at least 20 degrees lower than what you need. For example, this 20F Lightweight Sleeping Bag (Amazon) should be good for tent sleeping at 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

#2 - Have Energy With The Right Pad

I am a VERY picky sleeper. If I'm not comfortable, it's hard for me to fall and stay asleep. And if I don't get a good nights sleep, the next day(s) are NOT fun (I'm not even 35 years old yet!)

After trying many different sleeping mats, pads, and cots, I've found this type of air pad (Amazon) to work best if I need it to pack small. It's about 3" thick, which is just barely enough to feel comfortable on hard ground (tent floor).

Sleep like at home?

For added comfort (but still packs down fairly small), I throw it on top of my lightweight folding cot (Amazon). Combined, it feels almost as good as my bed at home after I get the proper air pressure in the pad, allowing me to sleep easy and actually feel rested the next day for riding!

#3 - Home Sweet Home Living Quarters

How much room do you want in your sleeping quarters, and how small do you need it to pack down to? You have to plan ahead because the size or "specs" aren't always what they seem...

"1 Man" is what it says...

Size is the first thing you need to look at when choosing a tent. A 1-man tent (Amazon) is enough room for one average-sized (5'10"/178cm) person, and that's it! No extra arm or leg room, and don't even think about having gear inside unless you want to use it as a pillow.

If you want to cover any riding gear up, I recommend getting a 2 or even 3-man tent (Amazon), or at least a tent with a vestibule/extended rainfly (Amazon).

A GARAGE for your bike?

We're getting a little sidetracked on this, but if you want to keep your bike dry, there's a luxurious 2-man motorcycle tent (Amazon) that's basically a tent for you AND your bike, how sweet ;).

How to prevent your tent floor from ripping

If you put your tent on anything other than soft grass or dirt or use it often, it's bound to rip and tear the floor sooner than later, causing moisture to leak inside and you'll wake up wondering if you wet the bed or there was a Jumanji monsoon in your tent (okay, maybe not that extreme, but I find it hard to sleep when I'm wet!)

A simple Tyvek tarp (Amazon) under your tent is all you need to protect the floor. The material is pretty crinkly and loud at first, but it's extremely durable even on rocks, and it gets quieter the more you use it (crumpling it up and even running it through a dryer can help "break it in").
I've had my Tyvek sheet for 10+ years, and it still doesn't have any damage to it.

Swaying with the trees

If you go the hammock & rain fly (Amazon) route, it's fairly cheap, lightweight, and packs small.
But it's not the most comfortable for everyone; there's little to no extra room, and you have to have two trees within a reasonable distance of each other to set it up.

#4 - Night Vision Without Using Your Hands

It's hard enough to set up some tents, but try doing it at night, or with your phone in one hand.

This is why I always bring at least one headlamp (Amazon) with spare batteries or a way to recharge the battery.

#5 - When Nature Calls, Leaves Aren't A Nice Feeling

If you're camping for more than 1 day, you're bound to need to use the bathroom (or a log). If you want a clean backside, you'll want to bring a roll of TP.

However, if you want some modern paper that packs much smaller, you could try out these Compressed Towel Tablets (Amazon) that can be used as TP, disposable washcloths, body wipes, or to wipe off most anything around camp. They're free of fragrance/chemical/plastic and just need water added.

#6 (BONUS) - Fire Starters

Starting a fire isn't hard when you have a classic Zippo lighter (Amazon), or one of these new plasma arc electric lighters (Amazon), but try making a fire without anything in your camping supplies...

Whether you need to start a fire to stay warm or you have a small gas stove/grill, this little tool makes you not even think about it.

Dirt Bike Camping Trips - Where To Ride?

First off, where are you going to ride? Even though many state trails have been shut down, there are still so many places to ride in the U.S.  

New to dirt biking? Check out your local trails. For example, this list on the MN DNR website shows the state trails and has info on each of them. 

What type of motorcycle is best for trail riding?

You have a few options based on your goals and preferences. For example, do you just want to ride local trails that have short loops over the weekend? Then you don't need to pack much gear/equipment on your bike/body. 

Also, are you a newer rider? Then you don't want a super powerful bike, especially if you're going out into the wilderness or mountains and will be miles from civilization and cell phone service. 

These are the 4 main types of off-road motorcycles and why you should pick one:

• Trail bike - you're a beginner, casual rider or just want a low-maintenance bike
• Enduro bike - you're an experienced rider and want a high-performance trail bike with better power & suspension 
• Dual sport bike - you want to ride on the road and off-road, or long-distance and need to pack gear on the bike
• Motocross bike - you're an expert rider that needs stiffer suspension and riding trails close to camp/your truck

Best trail dirt bike for camping

What kind of trails will you be riding? What’s your riding style and skill level? A dirt bike camping trip means that you’ll probably be doing a lot of riding, which can be exhausting and may require you to re-fill your gas tank before you make it back to camp.

This means that you should have a bike that is reliable and comfortable. That knocks off basically any motocross bike.

Am I saying that you can’t ride all day and all week on the trails with a motocross bike? Essentially yes, but it’s still possible. You’ll just want some proper mods to make your ride more comfortable and durable in the woods.

Your best bet is to choose a trail bike or enduro bike. The suspension is softer, and the engine has smoother power characteristics. Both of these traits will allow you to ride longer without getting as worn out.

Riding a motocross bike in the woods is harder because the stiff suspension will beat you up, and the abrupt power will wear you out quicker, especially if you are a beginner rider.

2 Stroke or 4 Stroke Trail Bike?

I’ll let you decide which is better when it comes to 2 stroke vs 4 stroke dirt bikes because there are pros and cons to each type of trail motorcycle.
There are a number of models from each group that are great for trail riding.

For example, a KTM 250XCW is a popular 2 stroke enduro bike, but maybe you don’t want a KTM. This list of the top 2 stroke trail bikes will help you decide.

On the other hand, the KLX230R is a good trail bike for beginners that want something comfortable, easy to ride, and don’t want to deal with a carburetor. For a full list of the best 4 stroke trail bikes read this guide.

What is the most reliable dirt bike for camping?

Fortunately, most dirt bikes made today are pretty reliable - you might get 0.5% of them that turn out to have an uncommon issue, but as long as you maintain your dirt bike, it’s going to last a long time.

Did you understand what I just said? As long as you maintain your dirt bike, it will be reliable.

In other words… If you don’t maintain your dirt bike, no matter what model or year you have, it’s not going to last very long.

With that said, for adventure riding or camping, there are some specific models that will be a little more durable if you’re not riding aggressively, which I’ll explain why in just a moment.

These are the most reliable dirt bikes for camping:

• Yamaha TW200
• Kawasaki KLX230
• Honda CRF250F
• Yamaha XT250
• Honda CRF300L/Rally
• Yamaha WR450F
• Honda CRF450RL
• KTM 500 EXC-F
• Honda XR650L
• Suzuki DR650
• Kawasaki KLR650

These dirt bikes either have an air-cooled engine or a liquid-cooled engine that’s detuned for better rideability and durability. They are generally going to be the most reliable because they are lower-performance and overbuilt (parts are thicker/stronger).

The advantage of “low-performance” dirt bikes

 When an engine creates horsepower, it also creates heat due to combustion and friction. Heat is the biggest enemy of an engine.

So, when you have a high-performance enduro bike, it’s naturally going to create more heat. That doesn’t mean it won’t be reliable, but a “slower” trail bike or dual sport bike will typically last longer before needing an engine rebuild because it doesn’t produce as much heat.

Best motorcycle for long-distance camping

Maybe you want to put on more miles and will be camping overnight (or multiple nights) with just the gear on your bike. In that case, then you'll want a dual sport bike that can handle carrying luggage and is a little more comfortable. 

These are the best motorcycles for long-distance/overnight camping:

• Honda CRF250L
• Honda CRF300L/Rally
• KTM 500 EXC-F
• Husqvarna FE 501S
• Suzuki DR650

Dirt Bike Camping List

Now that you’ve picked which dirt bike to take camping, it’s time to look over the list of essentials to bring. 

I’ve been out to the mountains many times and I’ve consolidated my list for efficiency. But at the same time, I like to be prepared in case of an emergency. The last thing I want is to drive many hours and either forget something or have something fail, resulting in a trip ending early.

This dirt bike camping trip list includes gear for camping, cooking utensils, and dirt bike tools:

1. Tent (3-man)
2. Tent footprint/tarp
3. Sleeping Bag (20F = good for 40F degrees)
4. Sleeping Mat/Pad
5. Camping Cot (Lightweight Folding)
6. Headlamp
7. Toilet Paper
8. Lighter
9. Pillow
10. Canopy/EZ-up (10'x10' w/ 1 side wall)
11. Lightweight Camping Folding Chair
12. Multi-tool/knife
13. Lip balm
14. Bug Spray (Natural/Deet-free)
15. First aid kit
16. Toothbrush/toiletries
17. Card/utility table
18. Portable stove (2 burner)
19. Pot/pan
20. Mess kit
21. Water container
22. Soap (Natural & Biodegradable)
23. Fender bag w/spare tube
24. Fanny pack
25. Tools for removing/changing a tube
26. Hand air pump

I’m not going to include all of the clothes, riding gear, and bike requirements because that’s all personal preference and based on your needs.
To get my full list of lightweight tools and spare parts that I bring with me on my trail pack kit read this article.

Best dirt bike camping tent

What’s the best dirt bike tent? I like a tent that sets up quickly, can withstand some fairly major rain and wind, and is big enough for me and any gear/clothing that I bring inside with me.

If you’re all about lightweight and minimalism then the BedNet System (Amazon) is a good choice.
However, a 2-person is the minimum size I used when I was by myself so that I can fit gear and junk with me to keep it dry/safe.

Bottom Line:

Plan ahead, and be prepared. You’ve got to be smart if you’re limited on space or weight. Remember to bring the right tools for basic maintenance or repair if something goes wrong.

Dirt bike camping is one of my all-time favorite things to do. Riding in different climates and on new trails with amazing views or terrain is something that can’t be done if you sit at home!

How to ride safer off-road on your camping trip

Now that you've got the basics prepared for a riding trip, it's time to increase your riding skill so that you don't crash hard and get hurt! I want to help you out with proper riding techniques to quickly give you control and confidence. Click here to get started for free.